Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Chester, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,629 in Chester, CA, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Chester, CA
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Chester, CA Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Chester, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,629

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Chester, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Chester, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,629 in Chester, CA.

Nosara $1,835
Chester, CA $2,629

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $3,789 in Chester, CA.

Nosara $2,825
Chester, CA $3,789

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $4,949 in Chester, CA.

Nosara $3,814
Chester, CA $4,949

Living in Nosara costs roughly 30% less than in Chester, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 35% above, Chester, CA 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$15.13 $15.13

-18.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$56.1 $56.1

9.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$12.61 $12.61

-38.46%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$5.06 $5.06

-12.25%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ₡803

$1.94 $1.94

-7.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.46 $1.46

-11.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$4.99 $4.99

-35.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$6.45 $6.45

-31.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.23 $1.23

26.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$4.19 $4.19

-26.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$4.62 $4.62

-45.24%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$5.67 $5.67

-39.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$14.96 $14.96

-51.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$14.97 $14.97

-31.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$17.94 $17.94

-21.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$5.05 $5.05

-54.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.94 $1.94

-15.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$4.30 $4.30

11.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$5.74 $5.74

-71.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$3.86 $3.86

-0.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$3.34 $3.34

12.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$2.50 $2.50

-56.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.70 $2.70

-4.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$9.06 $9.06

-43.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$13.92 $13.92

43.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$2.58 $2.58

8.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.52 $3.52

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$2.28 $2.28

-46.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$4.11 $4.11

-47.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.93 $1.93

-19.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$24.76 $24.76

-64.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.41 $1.41

9.93%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$35.2K $35.2K

-1.95%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$27.2K $27.2K

42.35%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$227 $227

-58.27%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$60.6 $60.6

-40.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$69.3 $69.3

-23.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$35.63 $35.63

107.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$17.07 $17.07

-53.66%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$490 ₡219.9K

$1,537 $1,537

-68.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$19.0K $19.0K

-37.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$61.7 $61.7

-11.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$46.31 $46.31

20.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$94.4 $94.4

-14.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$126 $126

-38.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,604 $1,604

-50.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$1,300 $1,300

-39.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$2,499 $2,499

60.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$2,130 $2,130

-33.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,448 $2,448

188.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,699 $2,699

-54.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.5

32.62%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chester, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Chester, CA

$1.3K 49.5% 64.7% $511

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Chester, CA

$460 17.5% 31.6% $111

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Chester, CA

$271 10.3% 27.5% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Chester, CA

$357 13.6% 94.1% $173

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Chester, CA

$148 5.6% 22.3% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Chester, CA

$70 2.7% 22.1% $20

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Chester, CA

$23 * 0.9% 74.2% $66

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Nosara and $1,604 in Chester, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $56.0 in Chester, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 vs $460, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Chester, CA

🕒 Local time

10:19 10:19 AM

09:19 9:19 AM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

36,801

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Chester, CA 4,860 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Chester, CA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Nosara vs Chester, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Chester, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,753 in Nosara and $3,944 in Chester, CA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $801 in Nosara versus $1,604 in Chester, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Chester, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,835 per month in Nosara versus $2,629 in Chester, CA – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,629 in Chester, CA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Chester, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,835 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Chester, CA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Chester, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.